Visitors on the Road Less Traveled

Sunday, February 27, 2011

I come from a place (the US, you know, just in case you forgot) where in the summer, pasty white is definitely not a good thing. In fact it is frowned upon. Maybe even considered sickly to be so pale. There are many jokes...ones like blinding people in direct sunlight which may or may not be true .

However here in Brazil, people are HORRIFIED that I would want to be tan. They are equally horrified if I get burnt. I am lectured constantly about sunscreen, umbrellas, and freckles. I get freckles if I get sun...here it is not cute. It's a hard mindset to change. Especially when people get a look at you for the first time and the first thing out of their mouth is something to the effect of, "nossa, ela é branquinha demais!" (or, "oh my gosh, she is so white!")

Normally I don't mind except that one time a cashier asked me if i ever went out in the sun and then I wanted to reach across the cash register and give her my own special ray of sunshine ...normally it's just a comment, but it's hard not to take it as a negative given what the culture is geared towards back home. (And I know a lot of people back home are very conscious of the sun too and are big advocates of sunblock, just throwing that out there)

So anyway, why all this? I'm burnt of course. So I will take the next few days of all the stares (they can't believe a person can be so red), the lectures, and I will nod my head and agree. Then I will embrace the whiteness. I will learn the lesson. I will use sunscreen daily. I will use the umbrella in the middle of the day when waiting for the bus or walking in the sun (although I really hate it). I will see it as a good thing. Even when little kids follow me around whispering because they have never seen someone so white. True story y'all. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I honestly don't know what happens to the time or the days. They go by faster than I can keep up with and before I know it the week is gone and I am frantically preparing for the next week. I have concluded that this is due to the little people.

The little people are a LOT of work. And I am only in charge of them 4 days a week for no more than 8 hours a week. Yet, my whole day revolves around them, my nights are spent planning for them, and by the end of the week, I am thankful for a short reprieve until Monday.

If some of you are wondering who the little people are...I started teaching kids at school. Ages 7-9. Truth be told, I absolutely LOVE it. They are really a lot of fun. I love when they want to ask a question and say, "Oh Tia" (tia is pronounced chia by the way...yes like the pet but it means aunt in portuguese...except the kids elongate it so it sounds like chiiiiiiiiiiaa. And as a further explanation, kids here are taught to call family friends, neighbors, and teachers or anyone they've been talking to for five minutes Tia) Another plus, is that they truly adore me, particularly my 9 year old girls, and are just as curious as they can be.

But people seriously, so much more work than big people. These days, I teach little ones in the morning, and big ones in the evenings. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays I literally run all day (I work for a school with two locations, so I go back and forth between the two) and thankfully Wednesday I have a little time in the day to stop and breathe. But seriously I get home about 9:30 pm...and usually asleep by 10. There is so much to remember with the little people...homework books, stickers, craft projects, grading. And then of course all the teacher/school crap I have to take care of. Registering classes in the computer, making sure I asked for the materials I need, did I fill out the attendance form for today?, and of course I spend weekends, planning all the lessons.

It's a good thing I like those little people. Today for instance Igor made me smile. He is 8 years old. He is late EVERY. SINGLE. CLASS. Today he arrived earlier than usual so we were singing our song(we learn a song every few weeks and practice at the beginning of every class) and he literally BUSTED through the door singing, didn't bother putting his things down, but joined in with the choreography, just as happy as he could be. It was so dang cute I was smiling from ear to ear. We have lots of moments where I am just as proud as a momma and then we have lots of moments if i have to tell them to stop talking and pay attenting one more time... that make me grateful the classes are 1 hour and 5 minutes at the longest.

But really? Despite all my complaining a favorite pastime of mine I feel really lucky. I love my job, I love my kids, I love my big people (most of them anyway), and I love my co-workers (you know, for the most part anyway). I feel like my boss has been really fair with me and I believe that she tries really hard to have a good environment for her employees. I am a lucky girl. I just hope this semester continues to go as well as it has so far....

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

So I had a little time between classes I thought I would share a thought with you (though I have many, many when I have some time...school has been crazy).

Today I decided to wear my sporty little slip on sketcher tennis shoes. I haven't worn closed shoes (meaning-not sandals of some kind) in all the time I have been here. (except for the hour or two I spend exercising) Today however, I have worn them ALL DAY LONG.

My poor feet. Do you know they actually hurt? I can't tell if it's from the shoes or from the walking. Also they are HOT. Like HOT HOT. What was I thinking?? My poor feet are DYING to be released from the hot, sweaty, hell that I have imprisoned them in.

Long story short: I don't like the heat (well I like it, just when I have a beach to go too. Also it's really really really ridiculously hot (said in your best zoolander voice, please)). Also, I love sandals and flip flops. And anything open that does not imprison my entire foot. The end.